Bauchi State: Between Bala and the Coalition

By Sanusi Muhammad

Wonders shall never end most especially with the presence of political clowns and jesters on the political turf.

In 2019, erstwhile governor of Bauchi State, Barrister M.A Abubakar was accused of poor service performance among others. He was said to have failed woefully in delivering what was expected of him as the governor which necessitated his defeat in the election and replaced with the best of all opposition could offer.
Luckily enough, the best offered proved to doubting Thomas that he was truly the best that can serve the state with passion. When Sen. Bala Muhammed took over, he introduced certain mechanisms in piloting the affairs of government. He never minced words and gave a clear direction of where he was going. He believes in service delivery at minimum cost and to have the best at his price. Armed with the necessary commitment, within a short period, he has changed the face of Bauchi.
Ironically, his decision to block all loopholes in the state’s financial system and reposition the civil service for optimum performance appears to have offended the clowns in the political chess game that hitherto rated him low in character and integrity.
It is revealed that on account of his reforms, some forces sprouted to gang- up against the journalist-turned politician’s second term bid which he has not even given it a thought.
On assumption of office, the governor vowed that his administration will be committed to accountability and transparency in the interest of development that was an illusion in the past.
“I shall block all leakages to ensure that all revenue accrued to the state are judiciously utilized and channeled to development strides. My government is not for any personal benefit or parochial interest but for the benefit of all”, he stated at his first 100b days in office as a bond.
From his chemistry, he never wasted time in carrying out those promised reforms including fishing out ghost workers and other criminally minded civil servants that contribute to retarding the progress of the state overtime.
Today, Bauchi State civil service has steadily moved from analog to digital and has recorded a lot of progress to the pride of all.
Governor Bala has undoubtedly plugged all loopholes and government financial transactions made more open and transparent. And the new norm has started yielding the desired dividends as the state’s internally generated revenue has appreciated and stabilizing for better days.
But, that is an albatross to the clowns in coalition whose pockets have dried as a result of the reforms and are extremely bitter with the giant strides so far recorded by Bala Muhammed that gives them sleepless nights brainstorming on how to ridicule him. It was learnt from the grapevine that in conjunction with their godfathers that are heading to oblivion, they are working on a plot to block the anointed from accessing another term in office as constitutionally allowed.
“The clowns, guising as politicians cannot imagine another four years without business as usual”, said a reliable source close to the rabble rousers. Will the clowns in coalition succeed in their gang-up against a destined servant who has proved his worth and admired by those who mandated him to serve them? We wait to see how the gang-up will work.
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Muhammad is a commentator on national issues